Fiction: Mind Forged Manacles part 3

[kethni]

Name: Mind-Forged Manacles part 3
Pairing: Matt/Nathan, Matt/Peter
Rating: Hard 18
Warning: Adult language, explicit non-con/dub-con sex, psychological abuse, death of a secondary character.
Notes: I say ‘non-con’ but I’m aware that I have a different classification to a lot of people so I’ve labelled non/dub to cover all bases.



“I need the bathroom,” Matt says flatly.

“First things first.” Nathan leads him into the dungeon. He pats the bed. “Bend over and I’ll take the plug out for you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Matt,” Nathan says nicely.

Matt pushes down his soiled clothing and bends over the bed. Nathan carefully works the plug loose and cleans it off. “Alright, go to the bathroom but don’t take long and come back here.”

Nathan puts the plug away and wanders around the room aimlessly, listening to the sounds of Matt in the bathroom. He strips down to his boxers and looks at himself in the mirror, stares at the man looking back.

Matt walks into the room and Nathan stirs himself.

“How do you feel?” Nathan asks cheerfully.

“Like I don’t ever want to back chat or mock you again,” Matt says quietly.

Nathan ruffles Matt’s hair. “I know that you and Mohinder had a very... teasing relationship. I’m aware that perhaps I might take myself a little seriously. I realise it’s a difficult line to negotiate but I do insist on your respect and obedience.”

Matt takes a step back. “You’re comparing this... this to my relationship with Mohinder?” he asks incredulously. “I loved Mohinder. He loved me. This...” Matt waves a hand to indicate the room. “This isn’t anything like that.”

Nathan sets his jaw. “You misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that our... arrangement is entirely comparable. I’m merely saying that I understand that you’re used to expressing affection that way.” Nathan’s lips thin. “Even though you apparently find it difficult to accept from me,” he says.

Matt blinks at him. “Oh,” he says weakly.

“Take off your clothes and lie down for me.”

“I’m really sore,” Matt says quietly as he undresses.

“I thought we could try something a little different. No, lie on your front,” Nathan says. “Please.”

Matt lies down and folds his arms under his head.

“Did you enjoy the game?” Nathan asks, stroking his hand up Matt’s leg.

“The game was fine.”

Nathan attaches a fine, supple chain to the D-ring on Matt’s collar. He takes a blindfold and carefully places it over Matt’s eyes.

“Would you like to go again?” Nathan prompts, taking off his boxers and putting them aside.

“I don’t know,” Matt says honestly.

There’s a dip in the mattress as Nathan climbs onto the bed. “It would be without the plug,” he promises. “That’s only for punishment.” He draws his fingertips down Matt’s spine. “The super bowl is coming up soon. Would you like to go?”

“I’d rather see Molly.”

Nathan bites Matt’s shoulder and scratches his nails down Matt’s back. He moves down the bed slowly, laying wide bites as he goes. Matt shudders as Nathan swipes his tongue over his entrance but then ignores it to bite his butt and thighs. Nathan squeezes lube onto his fingers and Matt sighs at the too familiar sound.

“That’s not very encouraging,” Nathan says mildly.

“I’m really sore,” Matt complains quietly.

“I know.” Nathan pushes his cock between Matt’s thighs.

Matt makes a surprised noise in the back of his throat and then relaxes slightly. Nathan’s hand grips Matt’s waist as he thrusts between Matt’s legs.

His fingers dig into Matt’s waist as he comes and he drops his head to Matt’s back. After a few minutes he presses his lips to Matt’s back and then gets up.


“You can come through to the living room if you’d like,” Nathan offers as Matt heads for his bedroom.

“I’m really tired and sore. I just want to sleep,” Matt says.

Nathan rubs his thumb over the apple of Matt’s cheek. “It’s been a long day. Things have been quite stressful recently Matt, I hope we can put that behind us soon.” He drops his hand. “Have a good night.”


Matt turns over in his sleep, one hand dragging the pillow further under his head. His mouth has dropped open, the tip of his tongue just out.

Nathan leans against the wall and watches him sleep.


The saleswoman smiles and bats her eyelashes. “Excellent choice sir. Would you like me to gift wrap it for you?”

“No, thank you,” Matt says nicely and hands over his card. “Can you charge it for me?”

“Certainly.”

Matt slips the velvet box into his pocket and makes his way out. The men following him keep a reasonable distance as he visits a number of street traders before buying something from one man selling watches and other jewellery.


Nathan taps his pen on the desk as he reads through the credit card bill. Some food; mostly lunches it appears, some bits of jewellery – Nathan raises his eyebrows at that – some games, a couple of pairs of trainers, and several dozen varied magazines with names like ‘Big Butt’, ‘Leg Show’, ‘Beefsteak’, and ‘Badpuppy’.

“Very amusing, Matt,” Nathan says under his breath.


Matt sits down and slides a five dollar bill across the bar. “Beer please, Marty.”

Marty nods, smiles, and hands Matt a beer and his change. “Gary’s looking for you.”

“Good, is he in?”

Marty waves a hand. “He’s in the corner.”

“Thanks,” Matt says, climbing off the barstool and picking up the beer.

Gary is a grey-haired fifty-ish man in tattered jeans, a dirty t-shirt, and a ripped jacket. He greets Matt by raising his glass of beer.

“I’ve been waiting,” he says cheerfully.

“Comfortably I hope,” Matt says, nodding at the beer.

“I get by,” Gary says, smiling as Matt sits down. “You got the money?”

Matt holds up a small wad of notes. “Four hundred, as agreed. It’s hacked?”

“You can call but not receive. You can set it to show the call as coming from any number you want. You set that here. It’s piggybacking so no bills and no record anywhere of this phone or the calls you make. That, what you wanted it isn’t it?”

“That’s great,” Matt agrees, handing over the money and taking the phone. He slides it into his pocket.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Gary says saluting Matt with the glass.


Matt twirls his fork through the spaghetti and pulls it up to his mouth.

“Hi!” Peter says bouncing across the restaurant. He slides into the chair opposite Matt and waves a hand at the waiter. “Hi, can I have a beer and a hot dog?”

“You can buy a hot dog anywhere,” Matt observes.

“Yeah but I want a hot dog right now,” Peter says giggling.

“Calm down,” Matt says in an undertone. “You’re going to draw attention.”

Peter shifts in his chair. “Sorry, I’m just... I’m excited you know?” he babbles, biting his lip as he smiles at Matt. “Don’t be mad?”

“I don’t think you appreciate the risk I’m taking,” Matt says flatly.

“Sure I do.” Peter reaches across to put his hand on Matt’s. Matt yanks his hand free.

“Don’t touch me. You don’t touch me or we don’t do this.”

Peter pulls his hand back and blushes. “Sorry Matt,” he says, chastened.

They both quieten as the waiter hands places Peter’s hot dog and glass of beer on the table.

“He has me followed,” Matt says. “They’re probably here right now. Don’t look round you fucking idiot!”

Peter turns back to the table and stares at his hands twisting in his lap. “I’m sorry, Matt.”

“I don’t know why I’m here,” Matt snarls. “I must be completely stupid. What was I thinking imagining I could trust you?”

“You can trust me!” Peter whines. “Please Matt...”

“No, no. I can’t trust you.” Matt throws his fork down. “If I could, if you genuinely cared for me one iota, then you’d help me.”

Peter’s mouth opens and closes. “You can trust me,” he says. “I...I’ll help! Tell me how?”

Matt taps his fingers on the table, and lets the tension build.

“Tell me?” Peter pleads. “Please?”

“He does things to me, Peter,” Matt says quietly. “One day someone is going to do things to Molly. You’ve babysat Molly. She’s a good girl, she doesn’t deserve that.” Matt reaches under the table; his hand obscured by the tablecloth, and puts a hand on Peter’s knee.

“They won’t,” Peter stutters. “Nathan wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.”

Matt pauses for a brief moment. “Nathan will get bored of me. He’ll get bored of me and sell me and Molly back to Primatech. They’ll have her in that breeding program as soon as she’s old enough.”

“I won’t get bored of you, Matt,” Peter promises. “If Nathan does then I could buy you and Molly. I have an apartment, it’s not big but it’s big enough, you wouldn’t have to worry about Primatech again.”

Matt forces a smile. “I’d like that. But Nathan would never pass me on to you. He’ll never willingly let us be together. You’re asking me to trust you and you won’t do anything to show me that I can.”

“Tell me what to do?” Peter begs.

“I’m scared Peter.” Matt’s hand squeezes Peter’s knee. “They could be doing anything to Molly.”

Peter licks his lips. “But you talk to her.”

“She’s not going to tell me that they’re hurting her,” Matt says softly. “She won’t want to worry me. If I could at least know where she is I’d feel happier.”

Peter leans back. “Oh man. Oh man, Matt I can’t...”

“Okay.” Matt says, patting Peter’s knee and sitting back. “Okay, I understand. I’m not going to try and ask you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“Um, we... we could still...” Peter’s voice trails off.

Matt pokes at his spaghetti with his fork. “We’ve been here together too long. I’m going to have to tell him that we met by chance. He’s not going to like it.”

Peter squirms. “He won’t punish you will he?”

“I hope not, I’m still sore,” Matt says stabbing a meatball with his fork.

“I told him not to use the head harness,” Peter says quickly. “I said it was really traumatic. I’m sorry if he’s using something else that hurts.”

Matt chews his lower lip. “I better go.”

“You’ve hardly touched your food,” Peter protests.

“I can’t sit here and finish a meal with you; it’ll look suspicious,” Matt says. He stands up quickly. Peter grabs his arm and Matt punches him, knocking him off his chair.

“Don’t touch me and don’t come near me again!” Matt snarls, shoving his way outside.


“I’d like you to vary things a little tonight,” Nathan says as Matt kneels down between his legs. “I’d like you to be a little less tightly focused.”

“What do you mean?” Matt asks.

“I mean don’t treat it like a task to be accomplished as quickly and efficiently as possible.” Nathan pushes his trousers down to his knees. “Take your time.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Matt says stubbornly.

Nathan strokes his fingers over Matt’s face. “It’s not an insult. I’m not disparaging your technique. I’d simply like you to shift your focus from speed and efficiency to something a little... warmer. More intimate.”

Matt frowns and shrugs. “I’ll try.”

“Good, good,” Nathan says, closing his eyes and leaning back.

Matt shakes his head and forces himself to press his closed lips to the soft skin of Nathan’s thighs. Nathan murmurs encouragingly and bucks forward slightly. Matt licks small strokes around the crease of his thighs and then across his balls. Nathan’s hands grip Matt’s shoulders.

“You’re so quiet,” Nathan mutters.

Matt rolls his eyes and groans a little. Nathan throws back his head.


Nathan tugs at Matt’s hair, pulling him up onto the couch and then pushing Matt’s head down onto his lap.

“Thank you,” Nathan murmurs, fingers stroking through Matt’s hair. “That was... that was... thank you.”


Nathan swallows a mouthful of goats cheese and sunblush tomato and takes a sip of white wine.

“The credit card bill came today,” he says, watching Matt.

“Yeah?” Matt asks, sounding uninterested.

“Dirty magazines, Matt?” Nathan asks archly. “Really?”

A very brief smirk passes across Matt’s face. “I’m only human.”

“Far be for me to deny you your amusements,” Nathan says. “Did you actually find them titillating or was in purely because you were amused at the idea of having me pay for pornography of that nature?”

Matt swallows a mouthful of food and looks at him innocently. “What nature?”

“Morbidly obese women,” Nathan says dryly. “Women’s legs.”

Matt shrugs. “Beefy men and younger guys too,” he says.

Nathan raises an eyebrow. “Those were the genuinely titillating ones? Not the overweight women or women in stockings or whatever.”

“I didn’t look at any of them,” Matt says. “Apart from the covers.”

“You don’t have to be prudish, Matt,” Nathan says smoothly. “You don’t have to be concerned either. I wouldn’t be angry if you’d been masturbating to any manner of pornography.”

Matt snorts a breath. “I have no desire to.”

“It’s perfectly normal, perfectly healthy,” Nathan says mildly.

Matt shrugs. “When I was a policeman I didn’t read crime stories for fun.”

“I don’t follow,” Nathan says, taking a sip of wine.

“I’m a whore. Sex is work, not fun.”

Nathan blinks and puts down his glass. “A whore? You’re not a whore, Matt.”

“Sure I am. I have been since I got taken to Primatech and still am now.” Matt pushes his plate away. “I’m done; can I go to my room now?”

“You’re not a whore!” Nathan snaps.

Matt folds his hands on the table. “Don’t yell at me. You tell me you want me to be honest and then you yell at me for it.”

“You’re not a whore,” Nathan says more quietly.

“I open my legs for payment. Whether it’s money, or drugs, or to protect my daughter, it doesn’t make a difference,” Matt says with a shrug. “I let you fuck me because I have to. Not because I want to.”

A muscle twitches in Nathan’s cheek. “Fine, go to your room.”

“Thank you.”



Matt thumbs the level of the television up over the sound of Nathan ranting at someone over the telephone. It goes on for fifteen, twenty minutes before eventually Nathan snarls something and there’s a crash as he kicks the wall.

He storms into Matt’s room and turns the television off.

“Get up, come on,” he growls, stamping out of the room.

Matt sighs and follows him out to the dungeon.

Nathan prowls about the room; unbuttoning his shirt and glancing at Matt.

“You tell me that you want me to be honest with you,” Matt says quietly. “You tried to torture me into trusting you. Beating me for being honest with you is only going to make me trust you even less and to lie to you.”

“Torture?” Nathan asks, stopping suddenly. “Beating? Matt, I’d never hurt you.”

“You put me in the head harness,” Matt says quietly. “Twice, and now you’re so angry that I was honest that you’re going to what, beat the shit out of me? That’s not fair, Nathan.”

“Is that what you think of me?” Nathan asks quietly as he takes off his shirt. “I never intended to cause you that kind of distress.”

“You knew how much I hated it and you knew how I’d react.” Matt wipes his hands on the back of his pants. “Are you going to break your promise and use it again?”

“No.” Nathan walks over to the chains dangling from the ceiling. “I’ll throw it away.”

“What are you going to do to me, Nathan?” Matt asks.

Nathan shakes his head and unbuckles his belt. He holds it out to Matt. “I’m not going to do anything to you. Don’t you like the belt? You can use something else if you’d like.”

“Why do you want me to do this?” Matt asks, taking the belt.

Nathan connects the chain to one wrist. “You went easy on me last time. Don’t.”

Matt connects the chain to Nathan’s other wrist and hauls on the pulley, lifting the chain and dragging Nathan off his feet.

“How do you know I won’t kill you?”

“I trust you, Matt.”

Matt snorts and moves behind Nathan. “Great. Gives me a real warm, fuzzy feeling that does.”

The belt leaps in Matt’s hand, cuts a swathe across Nathan’s back. The previous scars opening up as the belt dances back and forth.


Nathan lifts his chin and looks into the mirror. The weal circling his throat is a bright red splash against his skin.

“Thank you Doctor,” he says to the man clearing up bloodied dressings.

“Of course Mr Petrelli, it’s what you pay me for.”

Nathan shows him to the door and shakes his hand as he leaves. Then he goes to Matt’s bedroom,

He taps on the doorjamb and looks into the room.

“Matt?”

Matt looks up at him silently.

“I’d like it if you’d sleep with me tonight,” Nathan says hoarsely.

“You fuck me every night,” Matt says confused. “And we just... do you want to go again?”

“Not sex, Matt, sleep. I’d like you come and sleep in my bed with me tonight.”

“What?” he asks blankly.

Nathan folds his arms. “Tonight, instead of sleeping here, in this bed, I would like it if you would sleep in my bed. With me.”

Matt frowns at him. “Is this a trap or something?”

“I’ve been completely on the level with you all the way through, Matt,” Nathan says quietly. “I’ve been quite clear and consistent since you got here.”

“Sorry,” Matt mutters.

“Is sleeping in the same bed as me such a distasteful concept?”

Matt looks down at his hands. “You’ve been good enough to give me a little privacy. Please don’t take it away now.”

Nathan shifts position. “I’m not taking away your room, Matt. It’s still here. I’m just asking you to sleep somewhere else tonight. That’s all.”

“Do I have to?” Matt asks.

“You were sharing a bed with Adam quite a while before you began sleeping together.”

“That’s not the same.”

“Why not?”

Matt looks up to see Nathan staring at him with an expression he doesn’t recognise.

“Adam was my friend,” Matt says mildly.

“He stole Molly,” Nathan almost spits. “You would’ve never seen her again.”

“I’m not seeing her now! What do you mean he ‘stole’ her? You know I was trying to escape with them.”

Nathan takes a step forward. “But they took her; he took her, and left you behind.”

“I got my own damn self left behind and they did the right thing,” Matt says strongly. “I could live with not seeing her again if I least knew she was free of Primatech and safe.”

“She is,” Nathan says quietly. “She’s safe. I’m keeping her safe Matt. I’m doing that for you.”

Matt starts to say something and then changes his mind. “Are you asking me or telling me to sleep in your room tonight?”

“I don’t want to insist.”

“You want to play some game; that’s your prerogative I guess. But tell me the rules.”

Nathan moves a little closer and stretches out his hand to stroke Matt’s hair.

“For once, Matt, can we pretend that you don’t hate every single minute of being with me?”

“Fine,” Matt says, plastering a smile onto his face. “I’ll sleep in your room tonight. I normally wear boxers and a t-shirt or would you prefer me naked?”

“I’d prefer you naked.”

“Would you please turn up the heating then?”

Nathan smiles oddly. “That’s your concern, that you’ll be cold?”

“What are you going to do to me that you don’t do already?” Matt asks. “Read me a bedtime story?”


Nathan’s bedroom is sparse; bed, walk-in closet, bedside cabinets with a lamp on each. There are no photographs or paintings although when Matt looks closely he can see faint impressions where a number of pictures have been very recently taken down.

“Why don’t you read my mind?” Nathan asks as they both undress.

“I don’t want to,” Matt says with a shrug.

“But you worry yourself so much about things. Things that you would know aren’t important if you read my mind.”

Matt rubs his hair. “I don’t want to read your mind.”

Nathan shrugs. “It wouldn’t bother me, Matt. Did it bother Mohinder?”

Matt looks away. “I don’t want to talk about Mohinder.”

Nathan climbs into bed and switches off the lamp on his side. After a moment Matt does likewise, turning on his side at the very edge of the bed. Nathan is looking at the broad expanse of Matt’s back when Matt turns off the lamp.


The bed creaks and the mattress shifts as Nathan moves across the bed, his hand reaching out blindly. Matt tenses as cold fingers brush across his skin and then grasp his shoulder to pull him down onto his back.

The darkness above him deepens slightly as Nathan leans over him.

“What’re you doing?” Matt asks flatly.

There’s a long pause. “Go back to sleep, Matt.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Do you need a sedative?” Nathan asks mildly. “I can call the doctor.”

Matt clicks on the lamp. “What do you want?” he asks, sitting up.

Nathan blinks in the sudden light. “I’d like you to turn off the light, lie down, and go to sleep.”

“What do you want from me?” Matt asks, tiredly. “It’s been months, aren’t you bored yet?”

“Bored? Of what?” Nathan asks.

“Of me. The novelty wore off quickly enough so surely you must be fed up by now. You’re just too embarrassed to admit you made a mistake.”

Nathan is already shaking his head. “I haven’t made a mistake, Matt. You were never a novelty. I admit I perhaps had some... unrealistic expectations that might’ve coloured my behaviour. But I apologise for making you feel that I’ve lost interest. I’m as excited and interested in you now as I was before,” he promises.

“This isn’t working,” Matt says baldly. “It’s not making you any happier than it is me. It was a mistake.”

“I disagree,” Nathan growls. “You have to give these things time.”

“Whatever is it you want me to be; slave, toy, blow-up doll, live-in whore, it’s not working. I’m not capable of being what you want.”

“You don’t know what I want, you said that yourself.”

“Whatever it is you want, you’re obviously not getting it from me,” Matt says with a shrug.

“Turn off the light and lie down.”

Matt snaps off the lamp and lies down.

“Go to sleep,” Nathan says softly, his hand finding Matt’s face. “Just relax.”

Matt sighs as Nathan caresses his face with his fingers.

“Shush,” Nathan whispers and leans down to brush his lips down Matt’s cheek. He strokes his fingertips over Matt’s mouth before biting gently at Matt’s lips.

Matt resists the thumb on his chin trying to open his mouth and moves his head away. Nathan puts his hands on either side of Matt’s head and gently holds him in place. He presses his lips against Matt’s, licks, and bites them until eventually Matt lets Nathan part them.

Matt rolls his eyes in the dark and imagines blue skies and white beaches.


“Good morning,” Nathan says cheerfully, sitting down and flapping the napkin across his knee. “Did you manage to get to sleep last night?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Nathan pauses, partway through pouring coffee. “You should’ve said. I’d have called for the doctor to give you a sedative.”

“I’ll get a nap later,” Matt says, taking a sip of his coffee.

“I was wondering what you’d like to do for the super bowl,” Nathan says. “You often have a party, don’t you?”

Matt stares at him blankly. “What?”

“Super bowl Sunday, it’s coming up soon. Did you have any thoughts about it?”

“No.”

“No?” Nathan queries. “Just... no? Is that it?”

Matt nods and scrapes butter across a slice of toast. “Just no.”

“Well... would you like a party?”

Matt takes a bite of toast and chews it slowly. “No.”

Nathan lets out a breath and then rubs his forehead. “Why not?”

“Nathan, who would you invite? Your family? A bunch of the Primatech people?” Matt asks. “I don’t want to spend the super bowl, or any other night if it comes to that, being paraded around like the shiny new car that you bought.”

Nathan grinds his teeth. “You could invite your friends.”

“No, I couldn’t. Mohinder is dead, Molly is missing, I disappeared for months and now I’m shacked up with someone that I clearly don’t care for. How would I explain any of that? The only friends I have left escaped from Primatech.” Matt gulps down a mouthful of coffee. “I’d much rather see Molly.”

“Perhaps later in the year,” Nathan says dismissively. “I really do think you’d settle more easily if you tried to do normal things like this.”

“Normal?” Matt laughs softly. “Right.”

“Don’t laugh at me, Matt,” Nathan warns.

“There’s nothing normal in my life,” Matt says with a shrug. “Not a damn thing. I can’t even go for lunch without your goons following me and Peter turning up.”

Nathan flinches. “My what?” he asks.

“Goons, Nathan,” Matt says evenly. “Your goons. They follow me around. But I’m sure you’re going to tell that it’s for my own protection.”

“It is. Of course it is.”

“Yeah, right.” Matt tears a mouthful of bread off the slice of toast. “Well, there you go. Nothing normal.”

Nathan licks his lips. “Peter turned up?”

“Sure, plonked himself down and ordered himself lunch.” Matt shrugs. “He’s all talk that one.”
“You weren’t concerned?” Nathan asks coldly.

“With my protection there? Why would I be?” Matt asks.

“I’ll speak to him. Tell him to leave you alone.”

“Thank you.”

Nathan wipes his mouth on his napkin. “I would like to have Peter and my father over to watch the super bowl.”

Matt winces and plays with his cutlery.

“Is that a problem?” Nathan asks.

“No.”

“Talk to me, Matt. You can tell me anything,” Nathan promises. “I’ll speak to Peter beforehand.”

“Your dad scares me,” Matt admits. “He talks about me like I’m a thing and a thing that he’d like to hurt at that.”

Nathan awkwardly pats Matt’s hand. “I won’t let him hurt you, Matt.”

“He’d have raped me,” Matt says. “If you hadn’t turned up when you did he would’ve raped me.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen. I promise.”


The heavy-set man leans across the desk. “I fail to see the problem.”

“The problem is that your people have been sloppy,” Nathan hisses. “He’s seen them and he knows he’s being followed.”

“That was always going to happen eventually. You can’t tail someone indefinitely without...”

“It’s been barely two months, that’s hardly ‘indefinitely’ is it?” Nathan snarls.

“He goes to a very small amount of places so of course he keeps seeing our people. He’d be an idiot not to realise sooner or later. It would be easier if he had a more varied routine but he doesn’t.”


Matt dumps the rings, bracelets, and cufflinks onto the table.

“Nice,” the woman says, picking through. “You’ve been busy.”

“How much?”

“For everything? Two thousand.”

“Four.”

She smiles at him and plays with a lock of her hair. “Always this game. Two and I let you plough me.”

“Four and I let you get ‘ploughed’,” Matt retorts.

She chews her lip and nods. “Come through.”


Matt checks each of the rooms in the apartment before going into his bedroom. He climbs under the bed and removes the small envelope hidden there. He adds the money to it and takes the replica Rolex and other jewellery out. He puts the rest of the jewellery on his bedside table and carefully pulls the fake Rolex under the couch with just a couple of links of strap showing. Then he returns to the bedroom and climbs into bed.


Matt wakes at the sound of the doorbell sounding. He drags himself out of bed and heads to the front door. Through the spy hole he can see Peter bobbing up on his toes.

“What do you want?” Matt demands, ripping open the door.

Peter bats his eyes at him. “I wanted to see Nathan. Is he in?”

“No!”

Peter smiles hopefully. “Can I wait?”

“No,” Matt hisses. “He knows you were at the restaurant. I told you that he was having me watched!”

Peter’s smile drops. “Are you okay? Did he... did he hurt you?”

“Are you trying to get me beaten black and blue?” Matt demands. “Go away!”

Peter backs away a step. “I’ll... I’ll ring Nathan and tell him something. I’ll take the blame Matt!”

Matt relaxes a little. “I can’t let you in unless Nathan says I should.”

“I’ll... I’ll go see him now.”

“Wait,” Matt says. “I’ll ring him.”

“Thanks,” Peter says, smiling warmly. “You’re good to me.”

“Don’t say anything like that to him.”

Peter stands in the corridor swinging his arms until Matt appears with the cordless phone and shoves it at him.

“Um, Nathan?”

“What’re you doing there, Pete?” Nathan asks.

“Can’t I just drop by to see my brother?” Peter asks.

“But you’ve not dropped by to see me. I’m not there.”

“I thought I could wait, but Matt’s being a little bitch about letting me in.” Peter mouths ‘sorry!’ at Matt.

“After your performance at the restaurant the other afternoon I’m not surprised,” Nathan says coldly.

“What performance?”

Nathan snorts down the telephone. “Pete, give it up. You followed Matt to a restaurant and made a pass at him.”

Peter squirms uncomfortably. “Nathan, come on,” he whines. “I didn’t do anything but talk. Where’s the harm in that?”

“You grabbed his arm.”

“He punched me!” Peter protests. “In the face! It really hurt.”

Nathan laughs lightly. “I didn’t know that. Put him back on the phone.”

Peter hands over the phone to Matt with a helpless shrug.

“You didn’t tell me that you’d punched Peter in the face,” Nathan says.

Matt shuts the door and steps back. “You told me you didn’t care about me ‘slamming Peter around’,” he points out.

“I don’t. Let Peter in if you want. It might do you some good to beat the shit out of him,” Nathan suggests. “Blow off a little steam.”

“If you think that’s a good idea,” Matt says.

“Do you think you can cope with Peter?”

Matt opens the door and beckons. “I think so.”

Peter beams, bounces inside, and starts pulling off his clothes.

“Good,” Nathan says decisively. “I’ll be home in about ninety minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll have the food ready then.” Matt thumbs off the phone and then shuts the door.

Peter swings his arms; the muscles in his chest shifting and stretching.

“Nathan expects me to beat you,” Matt observes, putting the phone on the stand.

Peter twists a finger through his hair. “Could we do that later? I don’t like being beaten.”

“I don’t like doing it,” Matt says smoothly. “But if I don’t Nathan will get suspicious. If he doesn’t see what he expects he’ll start to wonder what’s been happening.”

Peter unbuttons Matt’s shirt. “I won’t let him punish you, Matt. I’ll protect you.”

Matt forces a smile. “We better move to the... there’s a room he uses.”

Peter happily follows Matt into the dungeon but as he looks around the room the smile slips from his face.

“He tortures you?” Peter squeaks.

“I don’t want to talk about Nathan,” Matt says, unbuttoning Peter’s trousers. “I don’t want to think about him.”

“You can trust me,” Peter says wide-eyed. “I promise.”

Matt pauses partway through tugging down Peter’s trousers.

“Can I?”

“I’d never treat you this way. I’d... I’d look after you and take care of you and...”

“And Molly?” Matt asks. “If Nathan finds out about us then he’ll send her to Primatech. When she’s old enough she’ll be passed about from agent to agent. Like I was.”

“He won’t find out,” Peter says softly. “I wouldn’t let him. He trusts me, Matt. That’s why he got me to...” Peter licks his lips. “Look, it’ll do you no good to know it. You’d never be able to get to her. Nathan’ll not let you go.”

“But if you tell me, you’re showing me that I can trust you,” Matt says, sliding a hand inside Peter’s trousers. “It won’t do me any good except to know that I’m not making a horrible mistake. You can find out who found the school, I know...”

“I did,” Peter blurts and then reddens. “I mean, there was a list his secretary put together but I picked it and took Molly. Because, you know, you can’t read my mind.”

Matt slides his hand around Peter’s waist and kisses him.

“Oh god, oh god,” Peter groans, bucking up against Matt desperately.

“What’s the name of the school?”

“Matt... I can’t...”

Matt shoves him away and shakes his head. “What the fuck was I thinking? I can’t trust you, you’ll just have your fun and run to Nathan and tell him all about it. You make big promises but they don’t mean shit.”

“Campus Des Nation!” Peter blurts. “It’s in Switzerland. But you don’t have any money except the credit card Nathan gave you so there’s no chance you can get there to...”

Matt kisses him again. “I know that,” he says tipping Peter on to the bed. “I just wanted to know that I could trust you.”